The most time consuming and least enjoyable aspect of shopping is the checkout process. Customers spend significant amounts of time waiting in line and having their orders processed by store employees. Further, merchants spend significant amounts of money to install traditional Point-Of-Sale (POS) systems and employ individuals to operate them.
Self-Checkout POS systems (e.g., self-checkout terminals) are widely used by major retailers in the United States. Typically, one employee can monitor 4-8 self-checkout terminals. However, the self-checkout POS systems are similar to traditional POS systems as they are full-sized, stationary POS terminals that require installation and management by the retailer.